Jar-wrench.



PATENTED DEG. 2'7, 1904. v

' J. L. ZESIGER.

JAR WEENGH.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 11, 1902.

Patented December 27', 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. ZESIGER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

JAR-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,562, dated December27, 1904. Application filed November 11, 1902. Serial No. 130,856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. ZESIGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Jarrenches; and I dodeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to jar-wrenches; and the object of the invention isto provide a wrench which is adapted to engage the covers of fruit-jarsand the like and to rotate said covers onto the jars and remove thesame, all substantially as shown and described, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvedwrench, showing it open in dotted lines and closed in full lines; andFig. :2 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 3 is a further plan view in whichthe parts are shown in full lines on a dead-center as to their threepivots and in closed position in dotted lines.

As thus shown, the wrench comprises two jaws A and B and handle O. Thesaid jaws have each a semicircular outline and are preferably formed offlat comparatively light spring sheet metal stamped out in dies to thedesired width and shape and adapted to be connected up substantially asshown. The outer extremities of said jaws are connected at 2, where theyare provided with ears or such enlargement as may be necessary, adaptingthem to be loosely riveted and pivoted together, and the jaw A ispivoted upon handle O at point 3 at one side of the axial center of saidhandle lengthwise,while the other jaw, B,

is pivoted to said handle at 4 directly at the inner end of said handle.Now having this construction and remembering that the two jaws are ofspring metal and are under tension, especially when passing over theirdeadcenter either way, it will be seen that the effect of the springresiding in said jaws will always hold the jaws either open or closed,

according as they are thrown to one side or the other from a dead-centerline through the pivot-points 2, 3, and 4:. Thus in Fig. 3 the saidpoints are in exact alinement and a deadcenter of rotation of the handlehas been reached. Then whichever way the handle is turned the spring ofthe jaws alone will throw the handle either to open or closed position,according as it is started either way. If the handle be thrown intoposition full lines, Fig. 1,the jaws are closed on the jar-cover, andthey will remain closed by their own tension, and the wrench can be leftthereon in that way as long as may be desired, with the assurance thatit will hold its place unless forcibly removed. However, if the handlebe thrown in the opposite direction, (dotted lines, Fig. 1,) but not tothis extreme position, the jaws are not only opened, but the springtherein will hold them open and keep all the parts in open positionuntil they are again purposely closed. Obviously these results are onlyobtainable, first, because of the spring action of the metal, and,secondly, by reason of the three several fixed pivot-points arrangedsubstantially as shown and adapted to throw the said points across theirdead-center to one side or the other of their alinement. l/Vhen thrownto one side, the wrench is open and when thrown to the other the wrenchis closed, and fixed pivots with spring-metal jaws under tension arenecessary to accomplish these results. Further than this it is alsonecessary that the pivot 3 be far enough behind pivot L to carry thejaws open far enough, and the pivots 3 and t are so positioned on thehandle as to not only produce spring tension in the jaws at thedeadcenter pivot, but to effect a closing throwback of said center whenthe jaws are closed. In other words, the pivots 3 and t must be offalinement on the axis of the handle relatively about as shown, and jaw Ahas an extension or arm a to give it the necessary reach on the handle.However, it does not necessarily follow that the exact relationship hereshown of pivots 3 and 4: to each other and'to the bandle must beobserved; but any aquivalent arrangement and construction may be adoptedinstead.

What I claim is- 1. A jar-wrench comprising a pair of substantiallysemicircular spring-metal jaws pivoted together at one end, and a handlehaving one of said jaws pivotally fixed upon its end and the other jawpivotally fixed thereto behind the pivot of the first-named jaw, wherebythe ends 01 said jaws on the handle can be thrown either forward or backacross a dead-center line on all their pivots and are held open orclosed by their own spring action, substantially as described.

2. The wrench substantially as shown consisting of a handle and a set ofspring-metal jaws having joint pivot 2 and separate fixed pivots 3 and4, respectively, on said handle, the said pivots 3 and 4: being sodisposed on Witness my hand to the foregoing specifi- 2O cation this 3dday of November, 1902.

JOHN L. ZESIGER.

Witnesses:

R. B. Hosea, A. N. MosER.

